The Defendant
by celtic-flicka
Summary: Aaron is arrested, but it's Logan who is put on trial… This is a sequel to my fic The Actor (/s/13147976/1/The-Actor) so I suggest you read that one first!
1. Chapter 1

Logan knew the emergency room drill better than most. Whether you went to Neptune Memorial, the tiny community hospital near his family's ski cottage, or Royal London Hospital, it was always the same: Head injuries got you in to see the doctor quickly, but once they determined that you weren't about to die, they made you wait…and wait…and wait…

His eyes drifted over to his mother, who was staring blankly from her chair in the corner of the room.

"This is what's wrong with the healthcare system, you know," he griped.

Lynn raised an eyebrow in her son's direction and the corners of her mouth went up ever-so slightly. Having successfully gotten her attention, Logan went on complaining.

"How long does it take to put in some stitches and slap on a few band-aids? They took the x-rays, like, an hour ago. They know what's wrong, so why not tape me up and get me the hell out of here so one of those poor slobs in the waiting room can finally get in?"

"Logan, you need more than band-aids."

"Whatever. Just sitting here doing nothing is driving me crazy." As he tried to shift into a more comfortable position on the bed, a sharp pain shot through his broken ribs and he gasped.

"Honey?" Lynn began to rise from her seat but Logan waved her off.

"Unh, I'm OK." He sighed as he reached for the TV remote attached to the bed and hit the mute button. "This wouldn't be so bad if this crappy TV got more than one channel."

The room went quiet again. After a short time, Lynn finally spoke.

"Logan, honey, I—"

"Lilly, they said we have to sign in! There are rules! You can't just walk in here because you want to."

"Of course I can—see? Ta-da, I'm in. God, Donut, you're such a pussy."

"Seriously, if you two don't stop bickering, I'm calling your mom to give you a time-out! Can you please shut up and focus? Let's just find Logan."

Lynn gave her son a pointed look and he smiled mischievously. "I'll get them before someone calls security," she said, leaning out the door of Logan's room. "Kids? In here."

"Hey, Mrs. Echolls!" Logan heard the trio scurrying in his direction. Lilly, Duncan, and Veronica materialized in the doorway, and then froze when they saw their friend. Veronica stifled a little gasp.

"Get inside," Logan said, mustering up a casual tone. "They put me in a private room for a reason, and you guys are kind of defeating it."

The teenagers shuffled in and Lynn closed the door behind them. The girls each gave him a gentle hug and Duncan slapped hands with him awkwardly.

"So, um, are you OK?" Duncan mumbled.

"I've been better." Logan shrugged. "But I've been worse, too."

"Ronica told us," Lilly said, with a gesture toward her best friend. "We went to your house, but it was all blocked off with police tape and Mr. Mars told us you were here. We waited outside for a little while, but we got bored and decided to just come in."

"Lilly got bored," Veronica corrected. "We were dragged along in her wake. She—hey, is that about you?" She pointed toward the TV screen, where a reporter stood outside Neptune Memorial's emergency room entrance. Logan turned up the volume.

"…our sources tell us that Logan Echolls' injuries are not life-threatening, but the boy will be kept here overnight for observation due to his concussion. In the meantime, Aaron Echolls is at the county jail, awaiting his bail hearing tomorrow. This is Kat Erickson, reporting live from outside Neptune Memorial Hospital. Back to you, John."

"And so it begins," Logan said, running his good hand through his hair. "Fan-fucking-tastic."

A doctor strolled in, her eyes down on her clipboard. "Mrs. Echolls, a resident will be by in a few more minutes to get your son stitched up, but we'd like to keep him here overnight for observation, just to be sure about that head injury."

"Yeah, we heard. It's all over the news," Logan gritted. "Everyone in Neptune knew about my situation before I did."

The doctor's eyes lit up as they flicked toward the screen, but the reporters had moved on to another story. "We were on TV?" she asked breathily.

Veronica piped up. "I think Mrs. Echolls' lawyer might want to know why her son's personal medical information has been released to the media without their permission, don't you?"

The implied threat pulled the doctor's attention from the television, and she stared at Veronica with alarm. "Oh!" She turned toward Lynn as she backed out of the room. "I'm so sorry, Mrs. Echolls. I'll take care of that right away. I'm so sorry!"

Once the frightened physician had gone, Lynn rose slowly. "I probably should call my lawyer—just to let him know what's going on so he can tell everyone 'no comment.'"

Lilly, Veronica, and Duncan gaped at Lynn's white suit, crusted with Logan's dried blood. "Mrs. Echolls, you cannot be seen like that," Lilly said.

Lynn looked down at her clothes. "Oh, I almost forgot. I guess I should call Mrs. Navarro and have her send the driver here with our overnight bags."

"Mom, you don't have to stay here," Logan chimed in. "I'm just going to be asleep most of the time and—"

"No, I'm staying."

"But—"

"Logan," Lynn said firmly, "I am not leaving you. Not another word about it."

Logan blushed, embarrassed at being treated like a little kid in front of his friends, but kind of liking it anyway. "OK."

"I'll be back in a minute, sweetheart." His mother kissed his forehead before she left the treatment area to use her cell phone.

The group was silent as they listened to Lynn's footsteps trail off down the hall, and Logan suddenly felt self-conscious, running his hand lightly over his face and realizing he couldn't do much to cover up the dark bruises around his eyes or the cut his father's ring left on his cheekbone. He settled for putting his splinted fingers down at his side, where they were less visible.

"It's, uh, not as bad as it looks…" he began weakly.

"So, what's next?" Veronica jumped in, asking the question that everyone else was thinking. "I mean, what's going on with, you know, your dad?"

"He's been arrested," Logan said. "I already saw that on the news earlier. Beyond that, I don't know. But I'm sure our trusty local media will do their best to keep me updated on my life."

 ** _"…After posting bail this morning, Echolls was released from the county jail and held an impromptu press conference on the front steps. Our cameras were there: 'This is just a horrible misunderstanding. I had to talk to my son, Logan, about some behavior problems he's been having at school, and he became out of control. It was all I could do to defend myself. My son has a terrible temper, and I'm just sorry I didn't manage it better when he was a child so it wouldn't have to come to this. The only thing I'm guilty of is not being strict enough when Logan was younger…'"_**

"Come on, I don't want to go dateless," Lilly wheedled. "You've been gone for so long. Everyone's asking about you."

"Oh yeah, I can feel the love, given that none of our so-called friends have gotten in touch with me all week," Logan gritted. "They're just asking because half of them want to see how bad my bruises are, and the other half believe Aaron when he says that it was my fault and he just had to smash my bones into dust."

"You are such a drama queen."

"And Madison only invited me for the shock value. Lill, I just don't want to be a spectacle—I've had enough of that already. Please understand."

Lilly took on a tone of annoyance. "I understand that you'd rather stay locked up in that condo with your mommy than come to a party with me."

"Lilly—"

"No, that's fine. I can go my myself. Just know that whatever happens, it's on you."

Before Logan could respond, her end of the line went dead. He clicked his cell phone off and dropped it on the couch next to him. After sulking for just a few minutes, he picked it up again and dialed.

Veronica picked up after one ring. "Hey, Logan!"

"What the hell is with our friends?" he said without preamble.

"Why? What's going on?"

"Lilly isn't taking any of this seriously, and now she's pissed that I don't feel like being the main attraction at Madison's party. And Duncan is barely returning my calls—I've gotten one voicemail and two texts from him all week, all about nothing. I'm starting to think that my mom's lawyer and agent are my real best friends, because I've heard from them more than the Kanes lately."

Veronica paused for a long time before responding. "Well, you know how Lilly is. She's all about living in the now—she doesn't think about the big picture. But Duncan…I don't know…he's really busy…" she said unconvincingly.

"You are a shitty liar, Mars."

"What?"

"That's a lame excuse even if it was true. You have as many activities as DK, and more honors classes, but you manage to check in every day. You know the real reason. Spill."

She paused again. "If you tell him you heard this from me, I will disavow all knowledge of this conversation."

"Of course…"

"Celeste told him not to get involved. She's afraid of him being associated with any whiff of scandal. Might hurt his future presidential bid, you know."

"So he obeys her and ditches me? With everything that's going on?"

"He's just a wuss where Celeste is concerned."

Logan thought about his best friend's longtime crush on the sheriff's daughter, which he would never act upon because Celeste wouldn't approve, and realized Veronica was right.

"Man, he sucks," Logan stated simply.

Veronica giggled in reply. "Hey, if you want to stay in, why don't I bring over some movies?"

"No, go to the party. You don't have to skip it because of me."

"Please—I was only invited because of Lilly. Madison hates me, and only tolerates my presence because of you three."

Logan laughed, but didn't deny that.

"And if you and Duncan won't be there, I won't have enough protection from Madison's death-ray stare. It burns from the inside! Come on, let's hang—we can order pizza."

"All right, you've sold me. But only if one of the movies you bring is 'The Princess Bride,'" he said.

"As you wish!" she replied before hanging up.

A few hours later, Logan and Veronica were sprawled on the couch, watching the movie credits scroll by on the TV screen.

"Need another drink?" Logan asked as he struggled to stand without disturbing his still-sore ribs.

"Here, let me get it," Veronica said, jumping to her feet before picking up their empty glasses. "As much as I enjoy seeing you find your way around a real kitchen, I also don't want you to hurt yourself doing it."

"Hey, I've been managing just fine, thank you very much," he said, raising his voice so she could hear him in the next room. "I've been cleaning my own room and clearing my own dishes and everything!"

"Clearing dishes for a whole week!" Veronica teased as she reentered the living room. "That's really roughing it. I don't know how you've held up under all that effort."

"Shut it," Logan pouted. "You know what I mean."

Veronica laughed as she flopped back down on the couch. "I think I actually like this place better than the manse. It feels more like a real home. Except for the paparazzi staking out the place."

"Yeah, but we're learning to work around them—rented Toyota, disguises, me ducking down in the back seat. You know, your typical wholesome, mother-son fun."

"Whatever works." Veronica looked down at her hands, lost in thought for a moment. "Listen, I just wanted to say I'm sorry…about what happened."

Logan was baffled. "What are you sorry about? You probably saved my life, Veronica."

She bit her lower lip before continuing. "I mean, I'm sorry that I didn't do anything sooner. I kind of suspected something was going on, but I didn't do anything! I should have done something more before… this… happened to you."

"You tried—I just didn't let you. Just that afternoon you tried and I blew you off." Logan pulled a throw pillow into his lap and began twisting the tassels between his fingers anxiously. "I've been hiding this for so long, I guess it was a habit. I didn't think anyone would believe that the big-time Oscar winner would hit his own kid."

"I would have believed you—your friends would, my dad…"

"But what about the public? A judge? A jury? Haven't you been watching the news? The world loves that asshole. And you may have noticed that most of our friends don't believe me." He grew more agitated as the words came spilling out. "My mom has stayed with him all these years because she's so afraid of him. He had to be stopped for good. That's why I had to do this. I had to make everyone believe me. They needed to know so—"

"You 'had to do this'?" Veronica asked, her voice dropping to a whisper. "What do you mean? Logan, what did you do?"

"It doesn't mean anything," Logan said, fighting back the tears and wishing he had his parents' acting abilities. He could practically see the gears turning in Veronica's brain. "I'm just rambling. Head injury, remember?"

"This isn't funny. Did you do this on purpose? Get yourself beaten half to death to make sure he'd be punished? And make me listen to it?" She was pacing the room now, and Logan could tell that she was fighting to keep her voice down.

"Veronica, just let me explain." He got to his feet and grabbed her by the elbow to get her attention.

"Explain?" Veronica yanked her arm out of his grasp. "I've had nightmares every night—nightmares where my dad doesn't get to your house on time and I have to sit there and listen to your dad killing you. And now I find out that you planned that? You are sick, Logan."

"It wasn't anything he hadn't done before—you know that! I just had to…"

She scooped up her purse and stormed toward the door. "I know your dad needed to be stopped, but risking your life was not the way to do it. Good luck with your case, Logan."

After Veronica walked out the door, Logan stood staring at it for a few minutes before going into his bedroom. A minute later, he came back out and picked up the dishes, glasses, and pizza box and brought them into the kitchen.

 _"…Coming up tomorrow on The Insider: Aaron Echolls' other child comes forward. Trina Echolls defends her father, describes her brother's history of violent behavior, and discusses her upcoming movie role in a revealing interview with our very own Pat O'Brien…"_

"You're quiet—are you nervous about your first day back at school?" Lynn peered at her son over her glasses, which she wore instead of her contacts as part of her latest disguise.

Logan shrugged. "Well, let's see: My girlfriend isn't speaking to me, all of my friends are either ignoring me or are mad at me, the rest of the world thinks that Aaron beating me up was my fault, and I have a week's worth of homework to catch up on. What's not to look forward to?"

"I'm sorry you have to go through all of this, sweetheart," Lynn replied.

"I know, Mom, you've said that a million times. I'll be OK."

"Just don't feel like you have to handle all of this yourself. We're in this together, and I'll help you with anything I can."

Logan looked at his mother's profile and smiled. "Actually, just seeing you in this ensemble is enough to cheer me up." He tweaked the brim of her baseball cap. "The t-shirt and jeans make it look like you're playing a part. Lynn Echolls: Soccer mom."

"Ack!" Lynn pretended to shriek. They laughed together until it was time for Logan to duck so they could pull into the school parking lot without attracting the attention of the reporters camped out across the street. "Mr. Clemmons said he got extra security to make sure the paparazzi stay off school grounds, so you go to the office if you have any trouble."

"Gee, I've never been to the principal's office—I hope I can find my way."

Lynn rolled her eyes. "Have a good day, honey. I'll see you when you get out."

Logan kissed his mother on the cheek, picked up his backpack with his good hand, and headed into the building.

The school day was surreal. Logan was used to being the center of attention—he often made himself so—and every walk through the halls was filled with called-out greetings, whispered weekend plans, and high-fives from his friends. But today, almost nobody spoke to him. People were watching him, and obviously talking about him in hushed tones, but except for a "'Sup?" from Casey Gant, a kind hello from Meg Manning, and a huffy hair-flip from Lilly, no one acknowledged his existence. He felt like a ghost.

While he was sitting on the bench during gym, he saw Duncan looking at him, but his best friend averted his eyes guiltily when Logan saw him. He started to think that he would almost welcome a confrontation—it would have to be better than being ignored.

After lunch, he went to his locker and found it plastered with tabloid headlines:

 _"Aaron Echolls: My son attacked me"_

 _"Is Logan a liar?"_

 _"'Self-defense' claims action star"_

Wearily, Logan pulling down the clippings, tearing them into shreds before letting them fall to the floor. Just as he finished, a group of PCHers approached, and he tried mentally to take back what he'd thought earlier about wanting someone to confront him.

"Aw, poor little rich boy," said the hulking boy in the front of the pack.

"Fuck off," Logan muttered, opening his locker to retrieve his books in an effort to ignore the boys, who were slowly surrounding him.

"Oh, do you only fight guys who are over 40? I thought you might want to fight someone your own age for a change," the big one threatened.

"I didn't—"

"Ha! You wish you were his age, Chardo." Veronica's voice rang out from behind Logan. "You're older than some of the teachers here."

"You got a little cheerleader to defend you!" Chardo sneered. "Niiice. Maybe you can get an attack poodle next."

"Yeah, and you're a real badass, going after a guy with two broken fingers, a concussion, and cracked ribs." Veronica stepped in front of Logan held up something that looked like a flashlight, but he couldn't really see it well. He jumped when it crackled loudly.

Chardo scoffed. "A taser? You gonna shock me, little girl?"

"Mr. Sparky was a gift from my dad. Professional grade, so I hear it gives a real nice jolt." She gazed at the taser admiringly, and Logan had a hard time not laughing. "Wanna find out?"

"Why don't you just go to class, sweetheart," Chardo replied. "This isn't about you."

"When you threaten my friend, it is about me. Why don't you go to class, Chardo, before you get held back a third time."

The PCHers snickered, forcing Chardo to back off. As the boys slunk away, Chardo narrowed his eyes at Veronica and she gave him a cute little wave. When they were gone, she twirled the taser around in her hand like it was a six-shooter and dropped it back into her bag.

Logan was about to crack a joke when Veronica whirled around and pointed at him angrily. "Just because I didn't let you get your ass kicked doesn't mean I'm not still pissed at you."

"Just let me explain. Blow off last-period study hall and meet me on the quad. I'll tell you everything."

Veronica scrutinized him for a moment. "Fine," she said as she stalked off. As he returned to his original task of getting his books for his next class, Logan flashed on the image of Veronica on her tiptoes, getting up in the PCHer's face with taser in hand, and he chuckled to himself.


	2. Chapter 2

_"Well, Bob, unless the DA has some kind of smoking gun, I think this could turn into a he said/he said case. It's all just going to come down to whether the jury finds Aaron Echolls or Logan Echolls more believable."_

 _"Thank you, we appreciate your insight. That was legal expert Nancy Grace for Fox News. Back to you, Laura."_

* * *

"A video?" Veronica asked incredulously.

"Yeah—I found the camera a few days earlier, just by accident. I don't even want to know why he put it in." Logan made a face. "But after you guys dropped me off that day, I realized that if I got him to go after me while I was in the pool house, it would all end up on tape. Your dad and his deputies found it before I was even taken away in the ambulance."

"He never told me," Veronica said.

"He probably can't discuss the details with you, since you're a witness," Logan replied. "Please don't tell him any of this. Whether I antagonized my dad or not doesn't matter—he'd done that to me before and he was going to do it again if I didn't stop him. The video will just make sure that there's no question about what he did."

"So why is the DA letting the media stomp all over you? Why doesn't he tell them about the video?"

"He has to subpoena the credit card records that show that my dad had the camera installed himself—to prove that he wasn't taped without his knowledge, or something like that."

"You mean the video might not even be admissible?" Veronica looked horrified.

"It will be—I know it will."

"I hope you're right."

"And you can't tell anyone—not even Lilly, OK?" Logan pleaded.

Veronica nodded. "Your secret is safe with me," she said, making a zipping motion across her lips. "If that's what you had to do to take down the bad guy, then that's what you had to do. I still don't like it though."

"I'm really sorry about dragging you into it," he continued. "I needed someone who wouldn't freak out—someone who would know what to do and call the cops right away. It had to be you. I knew you would do the right thing."

"Um, thanks?" Veronica said with a slight laugh. "I'm glad I lived up to your expectations, but you're gonna owe me."

The bell rang, and moments later, their classmates began spilling out of the doors. Logan and Veronica gathered up their belongings and walked together to meet their respective parents in the parking lot.

They saw Sheriff Mars first, since his squad car was a lot easier to spot than Lynn's intentionally nondescript gray Corolla. Keith walked with them to join Logan's mother at her car.

"How are you holding up, Lynn?"

"As well as can be expected, I suppose," she said, removing her sunglasses. "Darryl Jackson has been wonderful through all of this."

"He's a good DA and a good man," Keith confirmed. "But if there's anything I can do to help, please give me a call."

As their parents talked, Logan saw Veronica watching her dad lovingly, and a pang of jealousy poked at the inside of his chest. She turned her eyes toward him, and he covered quickly by giving her a wink.

* * *

 _AMIGOS…OR ALLIES? National Enquirer photographers snapped Logan Echolls and his mother, Lynn, socializing with the sheriff who arrested Aaron Echolls. Sources at the high school confirm that the young Mr. Echolls, who has accused his father of child abuse, is close friends with the sheriff's daughter, who is also a witness in the case. Could Aaron's family be colluding with pals in law enforcement?_

* * *

School got better as the students became accustomed to his presence—and the bruises on his face had begun to fade to a dull yellow, which probably helped. His relationship with Lilly seemed to be defrosting too, so on his fourth day back at school, Logan walked into the building with a spring in his step. As he walked toward his locker, he saw Veronica headed his way and held up his hand in greeting.

"Hey, Ver—"

She walked right toward him, but didn't even glance in his direction—she brushed against him and kept walking. He was about to call after her, and then he noticed a tightly folded piece of paper stuck to the peeling tape on his fingers. Smiling to himself, Logan swiftly pulled it off with his other hand and stuffed it in his pocket. After he'd settled himself into his desk for his next class, he pulled it out and read: "2nd floor girls' bathroom, between 2nd and 3rd period."

When he showed up as instructed, the bathroom door had an "Out of Order" sign on it. Using the metal edge of the finger splint he had to wear for another week, he tapped lightly on the door. There was no answer, so he slowly pushed the door open and stepped in.

He looked around, and was marveling at how much cleaner the girls' bathroom was than the boys' when he noticed a tiny pair of pink Keds under one of the stall doors.

"Veronica?" he whispered loudly.

The door swung open and she peeked out. "Hey."

"What's going on? Are you mad at me again?" Logan dropped his backpack on the counter.

"No!" Veronica replied quickly. "No, I'm not mad. Didn't the DA talk to you last night?"

"I got a voicemail, but I haven't called him back yet. What's up?"

Veronica's face fell. "He doesn't think it's a good idea if we're seen 'socializing' anymore," she said, using air-quotes for the word the tabloid had used. "Not even here. Everyone is watching you, including our classmates, so he thinks it looks bad for the case if people think we're friends."

Logan rubbed his eyes in frustration. "That sucks."

"Yeah, it does," she agreed.

"I don't have very many people I can talk to these days," Logan said, pulling at his sleeves. "Lilly never wants to talk about anything but the next party, DK is still keeping his distance, and everyone else? I don't know who I can trust and who's going to run to the tabloids if I say anything. I don't want to lose you too."

Veronica nodded sadly but then perked up. "It's just for a few more weeks until the trial, right?"

"I guess…" he replied with a kick at the linoleum flooring.

"Until then, we can meet here! I'll leave the 'out of order' sign on top of the tampon machine, and then we can just pass notes anytime we want to meet up. Come on, it'll be fun!"

Logan had to smile at her enthusiasm for the cloak-and-dagger scenario. "Yeah, that'll work, I think."

"And whatever any stupid gossip reporter says, you have to know that I believe you, one hundred percent, and I'm going to stand by you in this. Y'know, metaphorically anyway."

"'Metaphorically'? Big word. You've been studying for your PSATs."

"Oh crap," Veronica said, slapping her forehead. "I'm late for English."

* * *

 _BLIND ITEM: Which princess of a software kingdom is taking up with the crown prince of the airline industry? Is she trying to keep out of the dirty dungeon of scandal surrounding her current consort?_

* * *

"Enbom? Really?"

"I was mad at you," Lilly replied dismissively. "But I'm not anymore, so it doesn't matter."

"Lilly, you made out with him for an hour in front of everyone at Madison's party last weekend. It matters. We were arguing—we weren't broken up."

"Come on," Lilly purred, slipping her arms around his neck. "Can't you forgive me?"

Looking at her big blue eyes and soft lips, Logan saw a pattern come into sharp focus. "No, I can't," he said as he pushed her arms away.

A small crowd of students was starting to form, and he knew they were hoping to witness another round of fireworks from him and Lilly. Lilly seemed to be enjoying the attention, but he tried to ignore it.

Lilly pouted. "I just made a little mistake. Let's just forget about it. Just this once?"

"Once?" Logan scoffed. "Do you think the concussion gave me memory loss?"

She tried to slip her hand into his and he pulled his hand back, shoving it into his pocket.

"This isn't how I want to live anymore, Lill," he said calmly. "It's always the same. I'm not going to keep running back to you."

Her eyes opened wide in surprise at his response.

"I'm always begging for crumbs from you, and you keep giving me just enough to keep me on a leash. But I'm done with that. Forgiving you over and over doesn't change anything about the way you treat me, so I'm not doing it this time. I'm not letting anyone treat me like their dog anymore. Not even you."

With that, he simply turned and walked away.

* * *

 _SHOCKING PHOTOS INSIDE! See the photos taken of Logan Echolls at the hospital the night of his fight with his father – a Star Magazine exclusive! Also: What's next for Lynn Echolls' movie career?_

* * *

"Even that's not convincing some people. When those pictures got out, I kind of hoped it would get some people thinking, but the crazies are still building 'Free Aaron' shrines outside the front gate of our house!" Logan slouched against the stall divider and watched Veronica as she leaned across the sink to check her mascara in the mirror.

Veronica shook her head in disbelief. "And women send love letters to convicted serial killers. There's just no swaying the insane, I guess."

"Yeah, he'll probably still get fan mail when he's in prison."

Her forehead wrinkled with concern. "How can you be that sure? What if he gets off? He seems to be doing a pretty good job so far of convincing the world that he's the wronged party here."

"The judge has to allow that video. The DA says he can't imagine anyone finding him innocent after seeing that. I mean, we've got that, we've got your testimony, your dad, my mom, the pictures the cops took at the hospital… but it's all about that video. It's why I did this…" His hands started to shake and he tucked them under his arms to still them.

Veronica wrapped her arms around Logan and he rested his head on hers. "This has to work, Veronica. I risked everything—it can't be for nothing. It has to work," he whispered into her hair.

* * *

 _"…Since the Aaron Echolls child abuse case began, it all seemed to hinge on a video taken of the incident, which was the police department's key evidence against Echolls. However, no one outside the police station or district attorney's office had seen the video—until now. Inside Edition has obtained a copy of the footage, which clearly shows Aaron Echolls viciously beating his 15-year-old son, Logan, as the boy begs him to stop. We must warn you that this video is quite graphic. Parental discretion is advised..."_

* * *

"You can stay home today, sweetheart—you're going to miss class all next week because of the trial anyway."

Logan thought about the pitying looks he was bound to get from his classmates, and briefly considered his mother's offer. But he also knew today would be his last chance to see Veronica before the trial.

"Ah, that's all right. I need to get all my books anyway, so I can keep up on the reading and stuff."

"OK, honey, I'll see you at 3 then." She ruffled his hair as he got out of the car.

"Hey!" he yelled, playfully pushing her hands away. He waved as she pulled out of the parking lot, and saw three cars full of reporters continue their pursuit as soon as she got to the street.

As he walked into school, Logan tried to avoid people's glances, although he did stop to say hi to Meg. They hadn't really been friends before, but ever since his abuse had been made public, she went out of her way to be kind. She even helped him catch up in the few classes they shared.

On his way to his first class, Logan mentally reviewed his schedule for the day, trying to figure out the best time to meet with Veronica. While he was lost in thought, he was nearly yanked off his feet when he was pulled into an empty classroom. He let out an embarrassingly high-pitched yelp.

"Veronica, what the hell?" he said, breathing hard. "I'm tense enough already—don't startle me like that!"

"I'm sorry," she said, on the verge of tears. "I just didn't want to wait until later today. I had to make sure you knew that my dad did _not_ release that video to the media!"

"Hey, shhh," he said soothingly, resting his hand on her shoulder. "I know. I know he wouldn't do that. One of those jackholes who work for him might have, but I know he didn't."

Veronica released a shuddering breath. "I could barely sleep last night. I was afraid you'd think—"

"No, I never thought that. My mom didn't either. Besides, if your dad had just gotten a big payoff, would he still be driving you to school in the squad car? No way—limo time, baby."

She giggled through her tears. "OK, good. I'm glad you don't blame me…him. He's going to find out who did it, you know. The photos too."

"I know. Wait a second—" He held up his index finger just as the bell rang.

Veronica laughed again, wiping her eyes. "How do you do that?"

"It's a gift. Bathroom, after lunch?"

"It's a date."

* * *

 _"…In a pre-trial ruling, the judge in the Aaron Echolls child abuse case has ruled that video from cameras at the Echolls estate_ can _be admitted into evidence. Balboa County district attorney Darryl Jackson says that the video provides incontrovertible proof of Logan Echolls' version of events. A spokesperson for Aaron Echolls' attorney had no comment…"_

* * *

Logan watched as Veronica's legs dangled from her perch on the bathroom counter. The media frenzy around his case was ramping up as the trial date approached, and he really looked forward to his clandestine meetings with Veronica. Sometimes they talked about the trial, but most of the time they talked about everyday things: school, movies, music… The meetings were a little island of sanity in the madness of Logan's life.

They had even developed a system of hand signals that was more efficient than notes for communicating when one of them wanted to get together: Three fingers meant they'd meet after third period, four fingers meant after fourth period, and so on—but the second floor girls' bathroom was always the meeting place. Lately, he'd been feeling a little adrenaline rush whenever he saw her surreptitiously waggling her numbered fingers at him.

"So—next week, huh? Then once the trial is all over, we can go back to talking in the halls and on the phone like normal people."

"I don't know, I kind of like meeting in secret. It's like we're carrying on an illicit affair or something," Logan said with a smirk. To his surprise, Veronica blushed hotly.

"I should get going," she said, hopping off the counter suddenly. "The bell is going to ring any second."

"Yeah, OK." Logan turned around to pick his backpack up off the floor, and when he stood up again, he found himself inadvertently blocking her exit. He stepped aside at the same time she did, so that they were still facing each other. Then they both made the same movement in the opposite direction.

"Wanna dance?" Logan joked.

She giggled, her face again flushing red from embarrassment. As she looked up at him, for a moment, she looked as though she were going to kiss him—and Logan realized that he wanted her to. Instead, she gave him a quick hug, slipped past him, and ran out the door. Logan was left to stare at his own stunned expression in the mirror.

* * *

 _"We interrupt your current program to bring you this breaking report: Movie star and Oscar winner Aaron Echolls has been found guilty of all charges in the case involving the abuse of his son, Logan. We repeat, Aaron Echolls has been found_ guilty _. Courtroom observers report that the boy and his mother, actress Lynn Echolls, wept and embraced upon hearing the verdict. They said nothing to Aaron as he was led away in handcuffs…_

 _… The jury deliberated for only three hours, returning with the guilty verdict just minutes ago. Experts who followed the trial are saying that the video footage, which apparently was from a hidden camera installed by Aaron Echolls himself, was the key to his conviction. Right now, we're on the courthouse steps, waiting for Logan and Lynn Echolls to come out…"_

* * *

Logan opened the door of the condo to find a young boy standing there.

"Is that really you?"

The boy pulled off the baseball cap and shook out a head of long, blonde hair. "In the flesh!" Veronica jumped forward into his arms, hugging Logan tightly. "I'm so happy for you. I wanted to talk to you afterward, but the reporters—"

"I know. But it still helped just to know you were there." He gave her a quick squeeze and let her go so he could close the door. "Damn, Veronica, you should go into undercover work. I never would have known you were you!" he added as he looked over her disguise.

"The hordes of reporters downstairs didn't know either, and that's what counts." Veronica took off her black and orange backpack and unzipped her baseball jacket as she transformed back into a teenage girl. "It's a good thing I never had the heart to get rid of this Padres junk my dad keeps buying me. So? How does it feel?"

Logan stretched his arms up high. "It feels great—people always say it feels like a weight was lifted off them, but I think that cliché exists for a reason. I feel lighter. I don't have to walk on eggshells anymore—I don't have to worry that he's going to walk in and catch me doing something that I didn't even know was wrong. I'm still a little jumpy, but it's just hard to believe that it's over."

"Where's your mom?" Veronica asked as she kicked off her shoes.

"She just left for her agent's house. His wife wanted to have a celebratory dinner, but I bailed so I could hang out with you."

"Are you sure you don't want to be with your mom? I can—"

"Nuh-uh, you're staying. The pizza's already here, and I can't finish it without you to do your share."

Veronica started walking toward the kitchen. "Then why am I talking to you when there's melted cheese cooling off as we speak?" She took out the plates while Logan got cans of soda out of the refrigerator.

"They're just going to end up talking business anyway," Logan added. "Every talk show in town wants an interview, and movie producers are already calling."

"Huh. What do you think about that?" Veronica used her thumb and forefinger to break the string of cheese hanging from the slice of pizza she was lifting from the box.

"It's fine—she loves acting, but she hasn't had any offers in a long time." Logan grabbed the napkins and the two headed for the living room. "A sit-down with Larry King or Barbara Walters could put her back in demand, and if something good can come out of this for her, then I'm all for it. I just want her to be happy again."

"What about you?" Veronica asked as she reclined on the couch. "The talk shows probably want you too."

"Not gonna happen. I'm so sick of being in the public eye, I just want to let this all fade away." Logan reached down and scooped up Veronica's legs, laying them across his lap so he could sit closer to her.

"Maybe doing an interview on one of the big shows would make the rest of them stop bugging you though," Veronica said, trying to speak around a mouthful of pepperoni and green pepper.

Logan shook his head. "I don't want to feed the monster. I want to go back to my normal life and wait for the paparazzi to lose interest in me."

* * *

 _SPOTTED! After being out of sight during the weeks since his father's trial, Logan Echolls was seen canoodling at a local coffee shop with Veronica Mars, daughter of the local sheriff and a material witness in Aaron Echolls' child abuse trial. Friends of the pair tell US Weekly that Logan and Veronica have been a couple since shortly after the trial. Could the Echolls family tragedy have a happy ending after all?_


End file.
